What Is Saffron—and Can It Really Boost Your Mental Health?

4 min readIf you’re a fan of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, or South Asian cuisine, you probably know saffron from its culinary work, but this vibrant spice may have an impact on more than just your taste buds.Joining the ranks of ashwagandha and L-theanine, saffron is quickly taking its place as the buzzy new mental health supplement in town. And, it comes with some bold claims—including suggestions that it works as well as antidepressants.But how much of the hype is actually backed by science? Researchers have been exploring saffron’s potential effects on mood, anxiety, and brain health, and let’s just say we’re interested. Here’s what we know so far.Meet the experts: Michael Genovese, MD, is a psychiatrist and the chief medical advisor of Ascendent New York. Christina Ni, MD, is a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist.What Is Saffron?Saffron is a deep red spice made from the dried stigmas (the delicate, threadlike structures in the center) of the Crocus sativus flower, better known as the saffron crocus, says Christina Ni, MD, a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist. For thousands of years, saffron has been prized for its rich flavor and vibrant color in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and South Asian cuisine, as well as for its use in traditional medicine. Today, saffron is primarily grown in dry, sunny regions including Iran, India, and Greece.Despite its tiny size, saffron is one of the world’s most expensive spices since its harvesting process is incredibly labor-intensive. Each saffron crocus flower grows only three stigmas, and each one must be carefully picked by hand. It also takes thousands of flowers to produce even a small amount of saffron, making it a rare, highly prized, and slightly expensive ingredient.Benefits of SaffronBeyond its role in the kitchen, saffron has attracted attention for its potential health benefits. “The primary bioactive compounds present within saffron, including crocin, crocetin, safranal, and picrocrocin, all have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and these are believed to contribute to many of the potential health effects associated with the spice,” says Michael Genovese, MD, a psychiatrist and the chief medical advisor of Ascendent New York. Researchers have studied these compounds for their potential role in supporting eye health, blood sugar regulation, and cardiovascular health.Where saffron shows the most promise, though, is in mental health. “Saffron appears to influence several neurotransmitter systems involved in mood regulation, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, but it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are increasingly recognized as relevant in depression,” Dr. Ni says. In fact, several trials have found that standardized saffron extract may improve depression and anxiety symptoms better than a placebo, with other small studies reporting saffron benefits similar to low-dose antidepressants like Zoloft and Prozac.All that said, Dr. Genovese and Dr. Ni both emphasize that saffron is not on equal footing with those FDA-approved therapies. “While saffron is one of the more promising natural supplements studied for depression, it should not be considered a replacement for evidence-based antidepressant treatment, particularly in moderate to severe depression, suicidal depression, or recurrent major depressive disorder,” Dr. Ni says.Dr. Genovese explains that, unlike saffron, FDA-approved antidepressants have been tested in large clinical trials involving thousands of patients and have established dosing guidelines, safety considerations, and long-term outcome data. By comparison, most saffron studies have been smaller and shorter in duration, which means that a lot more research is needed to better understand its benefits, effectiveness, and safety. “My recommendation would be to consider saffron as a possible adjunctive therapy for evidence-based treatment modalities for mental illness, not a substitute,” Dr. Genovese says. (You should do this with the help of a professional, of course.)Beyond its potential effects on mood, saffron could be doing even more in your noggin. It could be supporting your brain health too. “Crocin and crocetin may decrease oxidative stress, promote normal functioning of mitochondria, and potentially limit the formation of abnormally aggregated proteins seen in neurodegenerative diseases,” Dr. Genovese says. Early research suggests that saffron and other herbal treatments may have potential benefits for cognitive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia when used alongside conventional treatments.How to Reap the Benefits of SaffronSaffron has been used as a culinary spice for centuries, but research on its potential mental health benefits has primarily focused on standardized saffron extract supplements rather than the small amounts typically used in cooking. “While using saffron as a spice is healthy and safe in typical food amounts, it’s unlikely to provide the doses studied in clinical trials,” Dr. Ni says. “Supplements offer standardized amounts of the active compounds, making them more appropriate for research-based use.”Clinical trials on saffron and mental health have typically used 28 to 30 milligrams of standardized saffron extract daily, often split into two doses of 15 milligrams. It bears repeating: Saffron is not meant to replace medications for mental health, and if you’re interested in adding it to your routine, you should discuss it with your doctor first. Assuming you’ve got the go-ahead, you’ll then want to look for products that have been independently tested by third-party organizations, such as United States Pharmacopeia or NSF International, rather than relying solely on a brand name or marketing claims. “This is important because dietary supplements are subject to significantly less stringent regulatory scrutiny than pharmaceutical agents,” Dr. Genovese says.Although saffron is generally considered safe, it could come with some risks. When taken as a supplement, saffron may cause side effects such as nausea, headache, dizziness, dry mouth, or digestive discomfort, Dr. Ni says. It may also not be appropriate for people who are pregnant or taking blood thinners or blood pressure medications. In these cases, saffron could potentially affect how certain medications work in the body or pose risks during pregnancy, she explains.